


It’s Not You, It’s Me (And All That Other Bullshit)

by autumndark



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Asshole parents, Chaebol au, Emotional Constipation, M/M, a.k.a rich kids au, lucas is a sweetheart and mark is a fool, two idiots who are whipped and secretly in love with each other but make terrible decisions anyway
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-07
Updated: 2018-09-07
Packaged: 2019-07-07 20:30:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15915702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/autumndark/pseuds/autumndark
Summary: The Lee Holdings Inc. has decided to form a partnership with Wong Industries and as a result, Mark gets trapped in an arranged marriage that he can’t back out of, with a stranger that he’s never met.Mark's solution is to sabotage his own engagement until he meets his fiancé.Wong Yukhei is not only the most attractive person that Mark’s ever seen in his life, he’s also an absolute sweetheart and exactly Mark's type.





	It’s Not You, It’s Me (And All That Other Bullshit)

**Author's Note:**

> written due to popular demand bc apparently i am just That Easy to convince laksjfdlasdlfj
> 
> i’d also like to point out that arranged marriages are only cool if both parties are willing participants but luckily this is fictional and also they both end up being whipped for each other anyways lmao :’)))
> 
> so please enjoy and have fun because this is going to be a long ass ride ♡
> 
> title taken from a line in the song ‘party favor’ by billie eilish

Mark can already feel the questioning gaze of the Starbucks cashier on him, as well as the impatient glares of the caffeine-deprived people standing in line behind him, as the little card machine beeps cheerfully and rejects his card for the third time.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know why this isn’t working.” Mark apologises hastily, offering a sheepish smile.

“Perhaps you would like to pay by cash instead?” asks the waitress helpfully, watching as Mark tries tapping his card against the screen again, slowly, as though he had been doing it wrong all of his previous attempts (although, knowing Mark and his luck with electronic devices, that option is entirely possible).

Sighing, Mark is about to take out his wallet and check if he is actually carrying any small change with him at the moment when a tall man, who Mark only just notices had been waiting over by the pickup area, leans over and waves his card over the machine.

It accepts the other man’s card instantly.

Glaring at the machine in shocked betrayal, Mark looks up to thank the stranger and offer to pay them back when he gets his first real look at the man. 

_’He’s tall’_ , is the first thought that enters Mark’s head,  _’very tall, very attractive, and very much exactly Mark’s type - oh no’._

“This one’s on me.” says the handsome stranger, smiling down at Mark with a roguish and stupidly attractive grin. He lifts an arm towards Mark, large hand wrapping easily around Mark’s wrist, and gently tugs him away from the payment counter and out of the way of the rest of the impatient customers. 

“Um.” replies Mark, staring blankly at the casual touch.

“Don’t worry, no need to thank me!” laughs the man jovially, his voice both deep and loud. 

Releasing Mark’s wrist, he turns and collects his drink from the counter before getting ready to leave. He looks like a university student, dressed casually and carrying a slim book bag.

“Hopefully I’ll see you around, cutie.” says the other before Mark can collect his thoughts and form a sentence, switching his coffee from one hand to the other and patting Mark’s shoulder, before walking out of the shop in several long strides.

  
  
  
  


*

  
  
  
  


The encounter sticks in Mark’s mind all the way on his drive to work and follows him even after he arrives, Mark’s own coffee cup sitting on the edge of his desk and cooling rapidly, a wonky-looking ‘Mark’ written on the side in black Sharpie pen. 

He hadn’t gotten the chance to ask the stranger for his name this morning, but Mark thinks that he saw the word ‘Lucas’ scribbled on the other’s own cup.   

Shaking his head, Mark turns his attention back to the ever-growing stack of papers on the corner of his desk. 

Even though he’s the son of the CEO, Mark is still considered an intern at the company, which means that he gets stuck with all of the menial filing and data-entry tasks on top of his own responsibilities. 

He fires up his company-issued computer and waits for it to load, tapping his pen against his desk in boredom.

_‘Lucas, huh?’_

Chance meetings with cute strangers aside, Mark doesn’t have time for a relationship right now.

  
  
  
  


*

  
  
  
  


That isn’t enough to stop him from thinking about it though, the brief memory of his encounter with Lucas lingering in his mind even as Mark takes his lunch break in the staff room. 

Restless, his fingers itch to make a phone call.

“Ugh, isn’t this kinda early for a social call?” comes a high-pitched, melodic voice over his phone’s speaker. “Don’t you have like, corporate minions to terrify or something?”

“Hi, Haechan.” replies Mark, chuckling as he informs the other of the time. “It’s half past 12, actually.”

“Exactly?” drawls the other and Mark can already imagine Donghyuck bristling on the opposite side of the phone call. 

Most likely, his friend is lounging around in bed and avoiding going to all of his morning classes after staying up late playing video games again.

“Some people have night lives you know, unlike you.” groans Donghyuck. "Anyway, what’s up?"

“Someone bought me a coffee today.” blurts out Mark, tone pitching up towards the end in uncertainty because _’did that seriously happen or did he misunderstand the situation?’_

“Oh?” says Donghyuck, sounding more awake already. “Is Mark Lee finally developing a love life? I need to be more awake for this.”

There is the sound of blankets shifting coming across the receiver as Mark explains that his card hadn’t been working and someone had offered to pay for him this morning.

“First, someone actually hits on you.” says Donghyuck as Mark defends himself, spluttering out a barely coherent “Was it really flirting or was he just being nice?”

Unperturbed, Donghyuck continues, ignoring Mark, “And then moneybags Mark Lee is out of money? What is the world coming to?”

“ _Moneybags._ ” repeats Mark, flatly. “That’s rich, coming from you.”

“Heh, rich.” replies Donghyuck, barking out a laugh. “Anyway what happened with your card, was it expired?”

“No, I don’t think so.” answers Mark, furrowing his brow. "They sent me a new one recently.”

“Did you bother to activate it?”

Mark blinks. “Did I bother to what?"

Donghyuck’s answering sigh sounds especially loud over the phone.

“You’re helpless. I sincerely hope your mystery stranger knows what he’s getting himself into with you."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The Lee Estate is impressively large and Mark thinks it would take him close to an hour to walk around and visit every room individually in the mansion. 

As such, Mark spends most of his time in his own bedroom and its immediate quarters, and often only sees the servants that tend to his area of the property. In fact, a lot of the time he isn’t even aware of whether or not his parents are at home - although the majority of the time they actually aren’t, too busy occupying themselves with their own personal affairs. 

This is why it comes as a surprise when his father texts Mark and asks for him to come to the main sitting room because his parents have something that they would like to discuss with him.

His father greets him coolly, a cup of expensive rice wine in his hand with his wife sitting staunchly beside him, as Mark walks in and takes a seat stiffly on the imported designer sofa. 

“What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?” 

Clearing his throat, his father informs Mark that Lee Holdings Incorporated has been working to expand their Asia departments in the recent years and that they are planning on opening a new branch in Hong Kong the following year. Ever since Mark had finished his business degree, he has been diligently working at the company to gain hands-on experience and his father reveals that he has been considering allowing for Mark to manage the Hong Kong subsidiary division. Considering that his older brother Johnny has been handling the North American branch for the past five years, perhaps Mark can follow in his footsteps.

“That’s great! I’d be happy to!” exclaims Mark, genuinely excited at the prospect. 

“Good, good. I wasn’t expecting any objections.” chimes his father, nodding his head with the measured ease of someone used to getting their way. “I would assume that you would be able to appreciate what a good opportunity this is for you."

Mark nods like he knows that he is supposed to, even as a wary tension begins to form across his shoulders, sensing that there must be something more to this arrangement and he’s right.

His father goes on to inform him in a blasé fashion that in order to make the corporate transition smoother, Lee Holdings Inc. has made the decision to partner with the Hong Kong-based firm, Wong Industries, agreeing to share both capital and resources. Additionally, to make it easier for Mark who disappointingly does not have permanent residency nor any capability in speaking Mandarin or Cantonese, his parents intend for him to get married to the Wong family’s only son, Yukhei.

Mark can physically feel the tension in his shoulders drop down to his stomach like a weighted stone.

“What?” he whispers, shakily.

Mark’s mother elaborates for his father, who seems to consider this part of the explanation too tiresome to bother with, that Yukhei is currently studying his master’s degree in South Korea but will be returning to Hong Kong after he completes it by the end of the year, which is when both families have agreed for the wedding to be. The Wong family is also looking to expand some of their distribution chain to South Korea however they are not established enough to set up a full operating system yet, nor are they interested in having that level of commitment to non-domestic produce. Instead, a partnership with the Lee family is ideal because both companies have agreed that a merger is not the kind of image that they want for their brands presently yet neither are willing to settle for an acquisition; a political marriage offers good collateral for both families.

_’Collateral’_ , thinks Mark hysterically, _’that’s all I am to them.’_

The crisp, conditioned air of the room cause Mark’s skin to prickle and he feels sick to his stomach.

“Mark, you’ve never shown any serious interest in anyone before, and surely, you’re not the type of idealistic man that believes in a marriage based on something as trivial as eternal love?” asks his mother, looking into his eyes properly for the first time in the entire evening. “I didn’t think you were quite that sentimental."

“Well, no.” Mark replies and it’s true, at least partially. 

He has never been one to chase after things like ‘love at first sight’ and has always been more career-minded, however that doesn’t mean that he thinks a loveless marriage based on a contract is a fair trade either. 

“But still, getting married to a complete stranger is a bit much, don’t you think?” argues Mark, attempting to talk some sense into his parents.

“This is the best thing for both you and the company.” states his father with finality, emptying his cup and Mark knows that he doesn’t expect any further arguments. “Once we get the Hong Kong branch up and running, you’ll be set up in a high position. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted? “

_’Not really, no.’_

“I don’t-“ starts Mark, his brain floundering to come up with a sufficient excuse.

His mother chips in with her falsely soft yet shrill voice. “Unless you plan on lying to your father and I that you’ve had a secret boyfriend or girlfriend this whole time, let’s not waste time with any more objections, Mark.” 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Whilst it’s true that Mark cannot lie to his parents about already having a boyfriend, he _can_ lie to Wong Yukhei.

_’No one wants to marry someone that’s already taken, right?’_ reasons Mark.

Desperately, Mark goes over his options in his head. 

Donghyuck is the first person that comes to Mark's mind and is also disregarded just as quickly. The two of them have been friends for so long, since childhood, that Yukhei would only have to ask a few people that run within the same social circles to figure out that Mark is lying to him. 

Next there is Jeno, however Mark thinks the younger boy is too nice to willingly take part in a plan to essentially break a stranger’s heart even if it is to save Mark’s own. There’s a high chance that Jeno would end up telling Yukhei the truth and Mark would like to avoid that as much as possible.

There’s no point wasting time thinking about Renjun because the smaller man would refuse Mark, point blank.

Inexplicably, somehow the image of Lucas’ face appears in Mark’s mind for the faintest split-second.

_'If only’_ , think Marks wryly.

There’s only one option left.

  
  
  
  


*

  
  
  
  


“Jaemin, I need you to help me out.” says Mark, inviting Na Jaemin out to lunch at a trendy cafe that serves overpriced brunch items all day. 

As an incentive, Mark thinks that buying lunch may help convince Jaemin to be in a generous mood today, otherwise Mark is optimistically hoping that being out in public will serve as enough of a deterrent to himself for Mark to not have an emotional breakdown in the middle of an upper-class eatery at 1pm.

“A scheme, huh?” chirps Jaemin gleefully from around his forkful of gluten-free avocado sourdough. He leans in across the table and lifts an eyebrow. “This is interesting. What do you need me to do?"

“I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend.” says Mark, fighting the urge to shy away from Jaemin’s assessing stare.

Sufficiently amused, Jaemin’s other eyebrow raises up as well before he reclines back. 

“Hyuck told me that you had supposedly developed a love life over the week but I hadn’t realised that it was apparently with me.” says Jaemin, leaning his face in his hand and smiling winningly at Mark. He continues, in a long-suffering and resigned voice. “Well, I can’t blame you, it was bound to happen eventually. If I was around myself for long enough, I’d fall for me too.”

“No, I just. It’s my parents, they want me to get married to someone.” explains Mark, fingering his own set of utensils uneasily, food untouched (a meagre plate of rapidly-cooling gnocchi, drowning in tomato sauce, that Mark regrets ordering).

“Your parents?” asks Jaemin, returning back to eating, crunching his toast and leaving crumbs everywhere. “You know, there is a fatal flaw in your plan that I don’t know if you’ve considered, Mark Lee.”

Mark shakes his head quickly, fluffy hair bouncing and following along with the movement. 

“No, my parents already know that you’re dating Jeno and Renjun already, or _whatever_ it is that you three have going on.” Mark pauses to make a vague and confusing gesture in the air with his hand. “I just need Wong Yukhei to think that I’m already in a relationship and you were the best option I could think of.”

Jaemin hums in consideration and Mark tries to put on his best ‘innocent and pleading cat’ expression. He needn’t have bothered because soon enough, Jaemin breaks out into a smirk. 

“Sounds like fun, I’m in."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


A dinner with both the Lees and the Wongs has been organised by his parents at a high-class restaurant downtown and Mark has spent the better part an hour hiding in the restroom, talking to Johnny over the phone and stressing himself out.

“The Wong family still hasn’t arrived and if they take any longer I think I’m actually going to die, Johnny! I think I’ll have a heart attack and die of stress! Oh my god.” whispers Mark, frantically pacing back and forth in from of the sink area.

“Relax bro, it’s just a meeting.” says Johnny, calmly and in a very typical Johnny-manner of somehow always being ‘chill’. "You’re not getting married today, you can figure something out later. Who knows? Maybe Yukhei doesn’t want to get married to you either and the two of you can sort something out."

“I’ve got a backup plan already though.” answers Mark, raising a hand to rake through his hair before remembering that he’d styled it nicely before he’d left the house. “Jaemin is gonna pretend to be my boyfriend after we leave the restaurant.”

There is a silence as his older brother takes in what Mark said.

“That sounds awfully cunning of you, Markly. Are you sure about this?” asks Johnny, snorting when Mark hums in response. “Spending so much time with Ten has rubbed off on you, I should have known that letting you two meet each other was a terrible idea.” tuts his brother. 

Somehow bantering with Johnny has made Mark feel less anxious.

“What? I’m not that bad.” whines Mark, pouting slightly.

“He calls you his evil twin, Mark.” states Johnny, pointedly.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures, bro.”

  
  
  
  


*

  
  
  
  


Wong Yukhei strolls in 42 minutes late and Mark instantly recognises him.

It’s kind of hard to forget a face like that.

It’s awkward, sitting across the table from Lucas - or rather, _Yukhei_ \- and neither of them make much conversation while their parents talk business and subtly try to one-up each other by bragging about property and investments.

Dinner is a painful affair but Mark’s survived through worse and luckily he can distract himself with the food until it’s finally over, leaving the restaurant morosely as his parents tell him to spend some time getting to know Yukhei, informing him that they will be showing the Wong’s around Seoul since they are visiting.

Left alone, Mark stands beside Yukhei downstairs, wondering what to say.

Yukhei breaks the silence for him. 

“Hi. It’s you again.” says the taller man, smiling down at Mark the same way that he had the first time that they had met at the coffee shop and it has Mark’s breath catching in his throat once again.

“Ah, you remember me?” asks Mark, surprise colouring his tone. 

“Of course!” laughs Yukhei, shoving his hands into his pockets casually. “Caramel macchiato, right?”

Abruptly, Mark finds himself giggling and nodding his head. “Yeah! I thought your name was Lucas though?”

Yukhei’s smile grows wider at the edges and he asks cheekily. “You were paying attention?"

Blinking rapidly, Mark stutters, feeling his face heating up. “It’s just that- Your cup was-“

Chatting with Yukhei, Mark had completely forgotten about his plan when Jaemin shows up, right on time, and slings an arm comfortably around Mark’s shoulder.

“Hey, _boyfriend_.” greets Jaemin, stressing the word and raising an eyebrow challengingly at Yukhei whose mouth drops open in surprise. Jaemin tightens his grip around Mark territorially and drawls, unimpressed. “Is this him?”

Mark can’t help but be inappropriately awed at Jaemin’s acting skills.

_‘Wow, he’s really believable._ ’ thinks Mark.

“Yeah, Jae- uh, babe.” responds Mark, less convincingly and sounding about as awkward as Mark had predicted. Hopefully, Yukhei doesn’t know Mark well enough to tell when he’s lying. 

Wordlessly, Yukhei’s eyes narrow and Mark can’t read what the other man is thinking.

“Um.” Mark starts, helplessly.

“It’s fine, you don’t have to explain.” says Yukhei, raising both of his hands up and shrugging off Mark’s explanation. “I’ll let you two enjoy the rest of your night.” he adds casually with a dismissive wave before departing off into the crowded streets on his own.

Jaemin waits until Yukhei has disappeared from sight before he lets his arm drop from Mark’s shoulders.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Fingers clenched tightly around the steering wheel, Yukhei merges into the freeway, on his way back to his penthouse apartment after seeing his parents off at the airport.

They had only planned on staying for a few days to meet with the Lee family, a short pitstop before flying to Europe to do some sightseeing, nevermind the fact that they’d only bothered to come to visit Yukhei in Seoul once when he’d first come over.

“I hate that they’re doing this to me.” confides Yukhei, flipping on his indicator and checking traffic before stepping on the gas. “They waited until after I had already gotten settled here in Korea before forcing me into an arranged marriage for their own purposes as always, it sucks.”

Kun’s voice, sounding tinny from the bad reception, reverberates from the car speakers as he replies in a calm voice “Isn’t there anything you can do to get out of it?"

“They gave me an ultimatum.” sighs Yukhei, feeling restless in the confined space of his car. “If I don’t do what they want, then they’re going to cut me off financially. Maybe I could have survived on my own back home, but in Korea? With no warning? I still have to pay for tuition and everything, this is basically blackmail.”

“Well, let’s think about it. Maybe you have other options.” says Kun, trying to be helpful. “What does your fiancé think about this?”

The fact that Yukhei even has a fiancé in the first place is laughable but after finding out who it is, Yukhei thinks the universe must be having fun playing around with him. 

Slipping off the highway and approaching the smaller streets near the city, Yukhei answers “Remember that cute boy I told you about? From the coffee shop?”

Kun hums noncommittally. “Vaguely, yes. You said that he, and I quote, ‘looked like an extremely confused angel and had the most adorable little nose scrunch’.”

“It’s him.” replies Yukhei with a grunt.

“Isn’t that a good thing?” asks Kun confusedly. “A silver lining amongst all this mess.”

“He has a boyfriend.” snorts Yukhei, entering the city streets and pausing at a red light for the pedestrians to finish crossing.

“Oh.” says Kun quietly.

“Yeah, but that’s good because then I can try and convince _him_ to call the whole thing off without my parents getting mad at me.” reasons Yukhei, tapping his finger on the wheel impatiently.

“I feel sorry for you, Yukhei.” sighs Kun sympathetically.

“Yeah, me too.” mutters Yukhei, letting out a self-deprecating chuckle. “God, his boyfriend is really good-looking too. I don’t think I would’ve stood a chance anyway, he looks like-“ 

Pausing mid-sentence, Yukhei freezes in his seat as he sees Jaemin up ahead with two other guys, who are standing close together and holding hands, and Yukhei assumes they are a couple. He’s about to change course and take a detour when he spies Jaemin bending down and kissing one of the boys on the lips.

“Yukhei? Are you still there?” asks Kun’s voice, crackling over the speaker.

“Yeah, I just. I think I saw something that I probably shouldn’t have.” says Yukhei, swallowing dryly.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“The weather is nice today, isn’t it?” says Mark, attempting to make conversation.

Mark and Yukhei are having a scheduled lunch together at one of the restaurants owned by the Lee chain because their parents had wanted them to meet up regularly and get to know each other a little better. 

It’s also a bit hard to lie and get out of it when Mark’s parents seem to always have an idea of their son’s whereabouts. Mark supposes that It’s easy to have eyes and ears everywhere when you own properties in all of the busiest areas and countless employees available at your beck and call.

Yukhei doesn’t reply, continuing to stare out the window at the passers-by walking below.

It’s not any less awkward than their first dinner, especially since this time it’s just the two of them, and Mark rambles nervously about nothing in particular to fill the void of silence; hopping from topic to topic, and going into unnecessary detail about his work projects. 

Although Yukhei hadn’t talked much the last time they had met either, the other man is a lot more quiet and contained this week, casting strange looks outside and not paying much attention to anything that Mark says, and it’s making him feel on edge.

It’s like talking to a wall.

Fiddling with the rim of his plate, Mark finds himself cycling back to talking about the weather, grasping at straws for something to make conversation with, when Yukhei interrupts him with a grave voice.

“I saw your boyfriend the other day.”

Perplexed, Mark almost asks _‘who?’_ but luckily he remembers the lie and catches himself in time. 

“Jaemin?” asks Mark, wondering what this is about.

“I think he’s cheating on you.” shares Yukhei, voice low and expression solemn. He looks like he’s genuinely upset and Mark doesn’t understand why.

“What makes you say that?” prompts Mark slowly, feeling a cold sweat starting to form on the back of his neck. His instincts are telling him that this is going to be another conversation that Mark wants to avoid.

“I saw him with these two other guys, yesterday.” elaborates Yukhei, looking as uncomfortable as Mark feels.

“Were they holding hands or something?” tries Mark, attempting to fill in the gaps and dreading the correct answer. “Jaemin’s really touchy, all of my friends are.”

“He kissed one of them. On the lips.” says Yukhei, pausing and trying to gauge Mark’s reaction.

“Oh.” replies Mark intelligently, mouth gaping.

Awkwardly, Yukhei avoids eye contact, returning his stare to the window and rubbing at his neck self-consciously. “I thought you should know.” 

There’s a heavy silence in the room and the air feels stifling.

Before his mind can fully catch up with he intends to say, Mark’s mouth starts working and he confesses without thinking.

“He’s not actually my boyfriend.” blurts outs Mark.

_‘Shit.’_

Yukhei turns to face him fully and stares at Mark uncomprehendingly, while Mark panics internally.

Lips quirking downwards, Yukhei frowns and asks “What do you mean?”

Borderline hysterical, Mark’s mouth continues to run. “It was a prank. No one thinks Jaemin and I are actually a couple. I fooled you.” 

_'What. What is he saying? God, just shut up Mark, you fool.’_

Slowly, Yukhei starts putting the pieces together and he looks at Mark with something akin to disappointment.

“So you lied to me.” he says softly, expression blank. “Why?”

“Don’t take it so seriously, it was only some harmless fun.” says Mark, his mouth running on autopilot at this point. He wants this entire situation to just be over already.

“So this is all a joke to you?” asks Yukhei, looking at Mark with contempt.

They’re practically strangers at this point but Yukhei looks sufficiently betrayed and Mark can’t help but think that he did that; he put that expression on Yukhei’s face. 

Scoffing, the taller man stands up, taking out a note from his wallet that is more than enough to pay for both of their shares. 

“I’m glad that at least one of us is having a good time."

With that, Yukhei turns and exits the restaurant, leaving Mark sitting at the table alone.

Mark sighs and places his head in his hands.

_‘Mark Lee, you’re an absolute idiot.’_

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


It’s the end of the week and Mark doesn’t have anything better to do so he allows his friends to drag him out, following them to a club in Gangnam. 

Mark’s not particularly interested in partying or playing around but he will welcome a bit of drinking to take his mind off from all of the stress that he has accumulated in the past week alone - some of it from work, some from his parents, but the majority of it is from Wong Yukhei.

Wong Yukhei, who happens to be situated in the corner booth, sitting with a bunch of good-looking men and women who Mark assumes are probably his friends. 

Pausing in his tracks, Mark thinks that Yukhei looks like he would fit in well with the typical rich popular crowd in university, perhaps the sports athletes and aspiring models as well. 

Someone like Yukhei would never willingly mix with someone like Mark if he had a choice in the matter.

Frowning, Mark makes his way past Yukhei’s line of sight as he walks in, catching his eye for a split second as Yukhei raises his head up, but the pair don’t acknowledge each other and Mark continues on, pretending to be unaffected.

  
  
  
  


*

  
  
  
  


After the first few round of drinks, the rest of his friends head out to the dance floor and Mark is left alone, nursing the remnants of his own drink. From across the bar, he can see that Yukhei now has one handsome boy and two pretty girls sidled up against him, and they’re all laughing obnoxiously about something. 

Feigning disinterest, Mark tries to distract himself with his phone but it’s hard when there’s nothing else to do and his eyes keep wandering back to the corner booth by their own volition.

Emptying the rest of the contents of his glass, Mark gets up and heads to the bar to order a refill. He has to pass by Yukhei’s table to do so and Mark debates with himself about whether another drink is really worth it for a good 5 minutes before ultimately deciding that it’s better than sitting alone at his booth, doing nothing and getting sober.

As he approaches the bar, Mark overhears one of the girls saying loudly, an audible slur to her words, “God, it really sucks that your parents are marrying you off like that, Susi.”

Yukhei replies in his typically deep voice. “It’s Xuxi, and I told you to just call me Lucas.”

“I know, I know. But it’s cute, isn’t it?” There’s a soft chuckle. "Anyways, one of my friends had that happen to her as well but at least it was to the Cha heir. Honestly, you could do better than that Lee kid, apparently he’s a real stick in the mud. Plus he’s basically a twig and like, his face is kinda messed up, you know?” She pauses to do something before continuing in a sultry voice. "Hey, you wanna have some fun with me instead?”

Stopping abruptly, Mark decides that he’s heard enough and spins around, heading for the back exit that he hopes is somewhere in this direction. 

From the corner of his eye, Mark notices Yukhei quickly scrambling up from his seat where he had been previously slouching in, fumbling his way out of the cramped booth but Mark’s faster.

Outside, the cool night air seems to lift some of his drunken haze but Mark thinks the alcohol must still be getting to his head because that girl’s words are affecting him a lot more than they should. Somehow, she had managed to pick up on all of his deepest insecurities tonight and he doesn’t even know why.

Maybe it’s because of the stress and the weight of his increasingly heavy expectations but Mark feels a painful lump forming in the back of his throat and he suddenly feels very tired, small, and sad. 

Hollowed out down to the bone.

Swallowing dryly, Mark takes out his phone to call a cab back home, the bright light of his screen stinging his eyes and he closes them for a second when he feels two warm arms wrap themselves around him from behind gently.

Mark startles.

“Relax, it’s just me.” says Yukhei quietly from beside his ear. “Don’t mind her, she has something bad to say about everyone.”

“What are you doing?” whispers Mark softly, like he believes that if he speaks any louder, he will scare Yukhei away.

“I wanted to make sure that you were okay.” answers Yukhei, the heat of his body seeping in through the layers of Mark’s clothes. “You should stay, have fun with your friends.”

Mark shakes his head, errant strands of Yukhei’s hair tickling at his cheeks with the movement. “It’s okay. I wasn’t really feeling it tonight.” Mark says and it’s not a lie.

“Alright, but I want you to know that to me, you were the most attractive person in the room all night.” says Yukhei finally, giving Mark’s body a light squeeze before his warmth retreats. 

Alone in the deserted alleyway, Mark waits for his ride to arrive, the back of his body rapidly turning cold after Yukhei had retreated back inside, clenching his trembling fingers tightly around his phone in a death grip.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The numbers and lines on the spreadsheet in front of him are beginning to blur before his eyes as Mark continues to scroll through the pages, looking for any inconsistencies. 

His phone chimes with another notification, signalling a new message from Yukhei.

  
Wong Yukhei (Lucas):  
[i dont care that your parents want to set up another meeting, im busy]

  
Sparing his phone a cursory glance, Mark leaves it on read and returns to his computer, cross-referencing account dates and payment receipts. The figures begin to swim around on the screen and his eyes are starting to feel sore in a way that’s unusual even for him. 

_’God, I really shouldn’t have stayed back in the office again’_ , thinks Mark, rubbing a hand down his face tiredly, but the accounts aren’t adding up correctly which means that someone has to be funnelling the missing money somewhere else. 

His head continues throbbing with increasing severity but Mark’s already used up all of the painkillers that he keeps at his desk and he hasn’t bothered to go out and pick up more yet.

Blindly reaching for his phone, Mark decides to call Donghyuck to whine. 

“Haechan, you were right. I think I really am getting sick.” says Mark when the call connects. He hopes he’s not getting a fever, he can’t afford to get sick right now.

Donghyuck picks up surprisingly fast considering the late hour but then again, the younger boy does tend to spend more time awake at night than during the daytime.

“I don’t think I can be bothered to drive all the way back home, I might just sleep at the office again.” continues Mark, closing his eyes and reclining back in his chair. 

“Donghyuck?” tries Mark when the younger boy still hasn’t said anything.

“You’re still working?” comes the reply but it’s Yukhei’s deep voice instead of Donghyuck’s light, airy one that Mark had been expecting. 

He checks his phone and sees that he had dialled the last received message instead of phone call.

“Never mind, wrong number. Sorry for waking you up.” apologises Mark in a rush, fumbling to hang up the call.

“No, it’s okay, I was up anyway.” reassures Yukhei and asking again, “You were planning on sleeping at the office?”

“I do that sometimes, it’s not a big deal.” explains Mark, hoping to finish the conversation soon. He can feel his eyelids starting to droop shut already.

“I’ll come pick you up.” states Yukhei simply.

“What?” yelps Mark, eyes shooting open. “No! I don’t want to trouble you.”

Yukhei chuckles and Mark feels a shiver make its way up his spine. The other man's voice sounds much deeper and coarser than usual over the phone. “It’s fine, I told you I was out already.”

Sleepily, Mark drags a hand down his face. “Did you? I don’t remember.”

“See? You’re sleep deprived.” Mark must be going delusional because he thinks that Yukhei sounds almost amused. “I’ll come and take you home, wait there.”

Within 15 minutes, Yukhei arrives in his flashy Maserati, with its overly-loud engine that Mark can hear coming before the other man’s car is even visible.

Popping open the car door, Yukhei glances up at him and says gently “You look asleep on your feet. Come on, I’ll take you home.”

Too tired to think, Mark offers a dopey smile in return and nods easily, resolving to worry about it later once he’s comfortably tucked into his own bed.

  
  
  
  


*

  
  
  
  


Mark wakes up the next morning feeling more refreshed and well-rested than he has in months. 

Luxuriating in the rare feeling of _not_ being tired to his bones, Mark stretches in bed, legs twisting under the covers, and when he opens his eyes he notices that he’s not in his own room.

The sight that greets Mark in the morning is not the bland cream walls of his bedroom, nor is it the industrial-grey ceiling of the office with its harsh fluorescent lights. Instead, Mark finds himself in a large room that he’s never seen before in his life, walls decorated with pop culture icons that Mark doesn’t recognise, and filled with various paraphernalia that makes the place feel more lived-in than Mark’s own room in his house has ever looked in a lifetime. 

It’s also significantly more messy, to be honest.

The door swings open silently and Wong Yukhei peaks his head in, his flat hair laying messy and rumpled from sleeping (although he still looks good enough that Mark would believe it if Yukhei told him that he had intentionally styled it that way), with the bronze skin of his shoulders and arms exposed and on display from under his tank top. 

“Morning, Mark.” greets Yukhei, voice deeper and huskier from having only woken up. “You fell asleep in my car before we arrived at your house last night, so rather than waking you up to ask for the gate code, I decided to just take you here instead. I hope that’s alright.” 

Yukhei avoids meeting Mark’s eyes throughout his explanation, and Mark can’t tell if its because the other man is embarrassed or disinterested in keeping the conversation going any longer than he has to.

“I also thought of lending you some of my clothes to sleep in so you’d be more comfortable,” continues Yukhei in an unsure tone, “but I didn’t want to overstep any boundaries.”

“Oh. No, that’s fine.” replies Mark, looking down and observing that he’s still in his dress shirt and pants that he wore to go to work yesterday under the covers.

_’But that means…’_

“Am I in your bed? W-Where did you sleep last night then?” Mark squeaks out, his fingers curling around each other anxiously beneath the blankets.

“Oh. Well, normally I let my visitors use the guest room but I had some stuff delivered earlier this week that I had left in there first? I couldn’t really be bothered to sort it out so late at night, so I just gave you my bed and slept on the sofa outside.” answers Yukhei, seemingly unbothered by it.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry! You didn’t have to do that! You could have woken me up, really!” says Mark, hands  hovering in the air in a fluster as a series of apologies start spilling from his lips. “Like, even if I’m passed out and sleeping like a brick, just wake me up next time okay?"

“Next time?” prompts Yukhei, the side of his mouth quirking up in a smirk. He waves a hand dismissively in the air and adds on, “Nah, it’s okay. The couch is really comfortable anyway, I sleep on it whenever I end up staying up late and I’m too lazy to move over here.”

“Ah, well, I still feel bad.” says Mark, sliding out of Yukhei’s bed and hastily straightening out the covers. “I’m also really sorry for taking up your time like that, I’ll get out of your way as soon as possible.”

Yukhei shrugs and moves out of the doorway. “It’s fine, really. Do you want to use the bathroom before you go? I suppose I could give you a ride back if you need one.” he asks, checking the time on his phone and twirling the device around in his fingers idly.

“No, I think I’ll manage.” mumbles Mark, squeezing around Yukhei and shuffling in the direction of where he assumes the front door to Yukhei’s apartment is. 

Yukhei follows him to the entrance and waits silently as Mark struggles awkwardly to put his shoes on.

“Thanks for everything.” says Mark finally, allowing Yukhei to unlock the door for him. “I’ll see you around, I guess."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.” says Yukhei in a rush, his phone pressed up against his ear as he walks from one side of the university campus to the other in between his classes. 

The end of the year is creeping closer faster than Yukhei had hoped it would and with less than 6 months left until his scheduled wedding to his estranged fiancé, both of their parents had agreed that it would be for the best if Mark moved out of the family estate and started living with Yukhei in his penthouse apartment, claiming that “you’re going to be married to him soon anyway, Yukhei, what’s the big deal?” when he’d tried to argue back. 

Space isn’t going to be an issue since Yukhei’s place is spacious enough that they can both live together comfortably without encroaching on each other’s territory, especially since Mark would be occupying the guest bedroom (now devoid of Yukhei’s ill-advised and spontaneously-purchased items) that is on the apartment’s small second storey.

“I’m meant to be making him hate me or something, right?” continues Yukhei, side-stepping around a smaller student that he’d almost bowled over while not paying attention. "Or at least give him the impression that I’m not worth marrying. But I can’t help it! Every time I end up actually meeting Mark face to face, my resolve goes right out the window.”

_‘He’s so cute, it’s like being mean to a small animal and I feel bad.’_ thinks Yukhei, resolving not to tell Sicheng that part and save himself from the other’s judgement that’s palpable even from across the ocean.

Yukhei groans, slowing down his pace. “What am I supposed to do, Sicheng?”

The opposite end of the line is silent and Yukhei wonders if the other man had hung up on him without saying anything.

“Well, you kind of suck at being mean.” comes the eventual reply, the sounds of electronic gunfire faintly audible in the background.

“Thanks, I guess?” says Yukhei, checking that he’s reached the right building for his afternoon lecture and wandering inside.

“Mm, I suppose it was compliment.” hums Sicheng and Yukhei can’t tell if the older man is being sarcastic over the phone. “Are you even trying?”

“Not really, I guess.” mumbles Yukhei quietly.

He mentally pictures himself yelling at Mark and generally being an asshole but then imaginary Mark starts crying and Yukhei panics and quickly aborts that train of thought.

Continuing in a matter-of-fact tone, Sicheng adds “You said that he doesn’t seem to like you that much, right? Why don’t you try ignoring him and brushing him off all the time, he’ll get the message eventually.”

The lecture theatre is empty apart from a couple of lone students who are busying themselves with their smartphones, airpods in their ears, and they mostly ignore Yukhei’s presence as he shuffles inside and sits down in an empty row at the back.

“Does that method work well for you?” Yukhei quips dryly, dropping his bag on the floor beside him.

“God, if only.” sighs Sicheng long-sufferingly. “But if you want Mark Lee to call off the engagement on your behalf, you’d better hope it does."

  
  
  
  


*

  
  
  
  


Mark moves in on a sunny Saturday afternoon with a small car-load of boxes and some furniture pieces that arrive separately. 

The sky is bright and cloud-free, and Yukhei supposes that it would be considered romantically-appropriate weather for his fiancé to be moving in with him, if the two of them were actually in love with each other.

Sticking to his newfound resolve, Yukhei doesn’t offer any help, instead occupying himself with his laptop whilst Mark makes several trips up and down, only answering the smaller man’s occasional questions with bare minimal answers. Besides, Mark seems to be faring fine on his own with the cardboard boxes until he starts lugging in a heavier piece that appears to be a musical instrument of some sort. 

It’s a guitar, Yukhei observes, when he finally looks up from his computer screen in mild concern as Mark wobbles unsteadily on the spot before catching himself on the wall. 

Mark seems to be struggling a bit as he manoeuvres the instrument inside, its neck coming dangerously close to a quaint little wooden clock that sits on the table by the wall.

With a slight note of warning to his voice, Yukhei says “That clock was a present from my late grandfather before he passed away. It’s an old-fashioned cuckoo clock and it reminds me of him.” 

Startled, Mark looks up with wide eyes and a wince. “Sorry!"

“He used to really favour birds when he was still alive.” continues Yukhei, sharing a memory of his childhood with Mark. “He kept dozens of them as pets and when I was a little kid, he would let me feed them seeds and worms back home.”

The taller pauses as he reminisces, a soft smile on his face that reflects his affectionate tone. 

A small, traitorous part of Mark wonders if Yukhei would ever wear such a fond expression if he were asked to describe Mark to anyone else. 

_'Probably not.’_ thinks Mark, and yet he doesn’t feel a single bit of resentment towards Yukhei, only regret.

The tentative silence is broken by Yukhei’s phone buzzing noisily.

“I’m heading out.” Yukhei explains, standing up abruptly and heading over to the door to grab his jacket. “You’ll be okay on your own, right? Don’t wait up."

Yukhei leaves without waiting for a reply, brushing past Mark and exiting his apartment.

Mark supposes that it’s meant to be ‘their’ apartment now, but in truth, Mark knows that he's just an uninvited visitor.

Cradling his arms around the guitar in his hands, Mark thinks to himself _’Don’t let yourself forget it.’_

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The pungent scent of popcorn assaults his nose as Mark stands by the concession stand waiting for his friends to arrive.

The movie hasn’t started yet and he’s currently loitering around alone while he waits for Donghyuck to return from the restroom, Renjun, Jeno and Jaemin all running late because of ‘reasons’ which Mark suspects may not be entirely appropriate to mention over text. 

The place is popular with university and high school students alike, and so Mark isn’t particularly surprised when he overhears a familiar deep voice talking loudly nearby and sees that it’s Yukhei with his friends coming out of the cinema after finishing their own movie. 

Squinting, Mark makes out the faces of Jungwoo and Doyoung but he doesn’t recognise any of the others and he watches quietly as he observes Yukhei joking around, playfully spinning in a circle and raising his fist in the air as he cries out, laughing. 

There’s a happy smile painted upon Yukhei’s face that Mark has never been privy to and Mark wonders, not for the first time, if maybe they had been allowed to meet properly under their own circumstances, would this have been the side of Yukhei that he would have allowed Mark to see?

Thinking back to the first time they had stumbled across each other getting coffee, could their paths have crossed again? 

_’Would Mark have dared to approach Yukhei and talk to him, maybe ask him out? Would Yukhei have agreed?’_

Shaking his head at the rampant questions and ‘what if’s filling his mind, Mark decides that it doesn’t matter much anyway. 

It’s unlikely that Yukhei would have said agreed anyway.

_’Why would someone like Yukhei take interest in someone like Mark?’_

Mark’s brain is starting to dive down a dangerous path, worrying if Yukhei would have been happier if his parents had set him up with a different rich heir, someone other than Mark who would be a better fit for Yukhei and treat him like a lover should. 

Before he can reach a conclusion, Mark’s friends arrive and start distracting him with their bickering and play fights, steering him into the cinema theatre with bright smiles and carefree laughter.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Persistently, like a small dog continuously yapping at him, Mark’s mother has been hounding him about wedding details for over a week now and he has half a mind to blacklist her number but the filial son in him can’t bring himself to actually do it. 

“And how exactly are things going on your end, then?” inquires his mother, posing the question like a barbed insult with a practiced amount of cool derision dripping from her words.

She also keeps asking him for updates about his relationship with Yukhei and how Mark is settling into his new place.

Living with Yukhei honestly isn’t that different from when Mark had been previously living in his family home; Mark spends most of his time alone upstairs in the guest bedroom, with Yukhei making himself scarce and seemingly always out doing things with his friends. 

The rest of the time, Mark is at the office working like usual and when he returns to the apartment at night, Yukhei is either sleeping or in his own room and they don’t really interact with each other much.

Yukhei’s apartment isn’t nearly as big as the Lee Manor but somehow it feels just as empty and vacant inside.

The only time that Mark and Yukhei really see each other is in the mornings, when Mark is over by the kitchen eating his breakfast and drinking his coffee half-asleep as Yukhei gets ready in the bathroom on days when he has an early class, the taller man opting to skip breakfast at home and grab something to eat from outside instead.

Whilst it is reassuring to know that Mark isn’t living completely alone, the most painful part of the entire cohabitation process is the scant few minutes when Yukhei emerges from his bedroom with his hair still damp, stray droplets of water clinging to the ends of his hair before they make their way down his topless chest. 

Without acknowledging his presence, Yukhei would slip in behind Mark from where he sits perched by the kitchen counter, pouring himself a tall glass of milk and drinking it while watching the morning news, before he disappears back into his room to finish changing.

Each time, Mark keeps his eyes glued to the television screen and pretends like the weather report is the most interesting thing in the world.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Regretfully, Mark feels like he hasn’t been making much progress on the ‘convince Yukhei to break off the engagement’ front and after consulting his mostly-unhelpful friends, Mark has decided that the best course of action would be to do something unforgivable that Yukhei will not be able to ignore.

When he had initially brought the subject up, Donghyuck had told Mark to pretend that he had contracted a deadly and highly-infectious disease, subtly leaving behind incriminating medical reports for Yukhei to find and allow the other to reach his own conclusions about the matter. 

“What if he waits for me to die first but I don’t?” Mark had asked worriedly.

“I don’t know, Mark. That’s your problem.” Donghyuck had replied, unconcerned.

Graciously, Jaemin had suggested to continue their previous ill-advised and ineffective scheme, offering to fake-marry Mark, cheerfully arguing that "You can’t get married if you’re already married, right?” to Mark’s chagrin.

Jeno had simply told Mark to sit down and talk to his fiancé, communicating to Yukhei that Mark did not want to marry anybody right now and that it would be best for both of them if they were to end the engagement mutually, but Mark had refused point blank, fearing that his parents would somehow find out the the truth.

“Isn’t this just as bad?” Jeno had asked with a sullen expression, “You’re making both you and your fiancé upset."

Tired of hearing about Mark’s growing misery, Renjun had bluntly suggested hiring a hitman and removing the source of Mark’s suffering.

“Are you talking about Yukhei or his parents?” Donghyuck had asked, stifling an amused cackle.

“I don’t know.” Renjun had replied, sighing loudly as he shrugged. "Either. Both.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


It’s a rare occasion that Mark and Yukhei are both in the apartment at the same time, even though they are each occupied with their own activities; Yukhei is in his room watching a drama on his laptop but he has left his door open today and Mark can hear the other man’s reactions, muffled laughter coming from the direction of his bedroom every few minutes. 

Out in the main room, Mark is fiddling with Yukhei’s gaming setup but his attention keeps wavering to the little cuckoo clock sitting on the table.

The little voice inside of Mark’s head (that disturbingly sounds a lot like Donghyuck) eggs him on. 

_‘C’mon, it’s easy. You can do this, it’s no big deal.’_

It’s a low move, and Mark hates himself for even thinking of it, but he clenches his fist and tells himself to do the deed and get it over with.

_’You’re not lovers. You’re not friends. Don’t let yourself forget that.’_ thinks Mark to himself, eyes wandering hesitantly to the Yukhei’s open bedroom door.

Steeling his dithering conscience, Mark shuts his eyes tightly and blindly sticks out his hand, batting and swinging it in the direction of the table. It takes him a couple of tries before the tell-tale sound of wood splintering and metal parts shattering against the floor reaches Mark’s ears.

Hearing the commotion, Yukhei comes rushing outside. 

“Oh my god, Mark! Are you okay? What happened?” he asks before his eyes drop to the floor and he notices the mess on the ground.

Freezing, Mark feels like he can physically see the realisation set in as Yukhei’s whole being seems to droop. 

Mark feels like he has physically reached into his own chest and thrown his heart out on the ground as well, lying broken and in pieces on the floor in a similarly dysfunctional state as the clock.

“I’m-“ begins Mark, helplessly.

Opening and closing his mouth wordlessly, Mark watches on as Yukhei kneels down amongst the shards on the floor and begins to slowly collect the pieces.

_‘You did this.’_

“It’s alright.” says Yukhei, halting Mark’s apology. “It was an accident, wasn’t it?”

Mark doesn’t move. He can’t bring himself to acknowledge the lie fully and instead stays stock still. 

Yukhei seems to take Mark’s inaction as remorse because he nods to himself quietly before turning around and returning to his room with the remaining fragments of the clock, shutting the door behind him with a soft click.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“This is what I wanted, isn’t it?” says Mark, staring down at the table with his head in his hands. “Yukhei hates me now, I’m sure of it.”

“I don’t know what to tell you.” drawls Donghyuck, slurping at his frappe unsympathetically with an audibly loud gurgle. 

“Yukhei either hates you, which you apparently don’t want since you’re sitting here moping like a baby in front of us,” he pauses, gesturing at Mark’s crumpled up and despondent form, “or he doesn’t, which you claim to not wait either. Make up your goddamn mind, Mark.”

Jeno sets down his burger and says pointedly, “I told you that you should have explained the situation to Yukhei, Mark, then you wouldn’t be in this mess now.” 

Obnoxiously, Jaemin leans over from the other side of Renjun to coo over Jeno and pat his cheek. “Ah, my baby is so smart! Mark should’ve just listened to you from the start.”

“I don’t know what I should do but I really shouldn’t listen to myself.” whines Mark, flopping over to lay sprawled out publicly on the questionably clean table in a manner that isn’t befitting of the Lee heir.

“Who even are you anymore?” asks Donghyuck flatly as Mark lifts up his head long enough to make eye contact with Renjun opposite.

Wordlessly, the Chinese male raises his thumb and forefinger up in the shape of a gun.

“Still an option, you know."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Traditional wooden clocks aren’t easy to come across these days, but Mark makes phone calls to several different specialist watch shops, asking around for someone that can offer the services that Mark requires, and eventually gets into contact with a watch-maker that assures Mark that he will be able to put Yukhei’s clock back together again once more.

Mark takes half a day off from work and waits until he’s sure that Yukhei has a full schedule of classes before he sneaks into the other man’s bedroom and searches around, collecting the pieces of the clock that Yukhei had salvaged. He finds that Yukhei has lovingly and carefully kept them in a cloth dust bag stored in his chest of drawers and Mark feels like an intruder and overall grade-A asshole for going through Yukhei’s things in order to find it.

After making sure that he has everything, even checking under the sofa for any forgotten springs or screws, Mark delivers it to the watch shop in person. The clock specialist informs Mark that it will take all day to put it back together again and a hefty amount of money considering all of the parts that the man had had to get ordered in, however Mark’s desperate and it probably shows, agreeing easily and offering to pay the full sum upfront.

For the rest of the day, Mark is antsy and on-edge; he can’t concentrate at the office and even goes out of his way to message Yukhei’s friend Jungwoo and bargain with him to keep Yukhei outside for as long as possible and to send Mark a warning when Yukhei is about to come home. 

Jungwoo, although suspicious, agrees and promises to keep it a secret as long as Mark sends him unflattering photos of Yukhei to use as blackmail material.

At 10pm, well after the front of the watch shop has already closed, Mark receives a message that the clock is fixed and ready to be collected. 

When Mark arrives, the man tells him that it wasn’t an easy job and the clock will not reliably keep time correctly anymore.

“They don’t make parts like that anymore, I’m afraid.” sighs the man, gazing at Mark calculatingly from over the top of his glasses.

However, it is put back together the way that it was originally, and when Mark manually opens the miniature cuckoo door experimentally, the little bird pops out and moves around in the same manner that it used to. 

As far as appearances go, it certainly _looks_ as good as new.

“Thank you so much!” exclaims Mark, waiting as the man meticulously packs the clock away in a box and taking it carefully from him when he offers it to Mark. 

The watch-maker smiles.

“It was my pleasure, I can tell that this clock was treated with a lot of love and care over the years, and I think that I’m leaving it in good hands with you.”

  
  
  
  


*

  
  
  
  


The apartment is dark when Yukhei gets back home late, shucking off his shoes at the entrance way and flipping on the light switch, flooding the hallway with a golden hue and illuminating the main room. 

He makes a noise of surprise when he sees Mark curled up on the couch asleep, practically drowning in an oversized beige hoodie and Mark’s glasses sitting askew on his nose.

“What are you doing sleeping out here?” questions Yukhei softly, shaking Mark awake with a gentle touch.

“Oh, you’re back!” yelps Mark, fixing his hair and glasses self-consciously.

“Yeah.” replies Yukhei, drawing back awkwardly. “Uh, good night, I guess.”

Yukhei begins to retreat, turning to make his way over to his own room when Mark sits up quickly.

“Wait!” shouts Mark, clasping his hand around Yukhei’s wrist and leading him over to the side table where the now-fixed clock sits proudly. “I have something to show you.”

“What?” asks Yukhei in confusion before he gets a good look at the table. He gasps, blinking in disbelief “Mark- This is-“

“I got it repaired.” explains Mark, dropping Yukhei’s wrist like he’d been burned and pulling the edges of his sleeves over his hands as Yukhei’s awed stare jumps from the clock to Mark’s face.

“I felt really bad about what happened so I searched for a place that can fix things like this.” explains Mark, shifting on the spot. “I know that it’s not really the same as before, but it’s close? Kinda?” offers Mark hesitantly as he waits for a response.

Unexpectedly, Yukhei bends down and envelops him in an all-encompassing hug that makes Mark feel more safe and loved than ever before - both as a child and as an adult.

“Thank you.” whispers Yukhei, his breath tickling Mark’s ear. “This means a lot to me.”

“Uh, it’s nothing. Really." says Mark sheepishly. 

A rather large part of him still feels guilty about intentionally breaking it in the first place. 

“It’s my fault that it happened anyway.” states Mark, lifting his arms up slowly and gingerly placing them around Yukhei, hands hovering uncertainly above his back. “Also, they couldn’t get it to tell the time anymore so it’s not completely fixed.”

Yukhei turns around in Mark’s arms and takes a closer look at the clock. “Ah, really? That part stopped working a long time ago, don’t worry about it.” 

All too soon, Yukhei withdraws from the hug and heads to his room, getting ready for bed.

Standing in the apartment in the quiet of the night, Mark remembers that the distinct sound of ticking that used to permeate the main room is noticeably absent now.

_‘Liar.’_ he thinks with a smile.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


It would be wrong to say that the two of them are friends now, but there has been a subtle but noticeable shift in their relationship after the clock incident. 

“My birthday is coming up next week.” mentions Mark offhandedly, apropos of nothing as he sits on the armchair, going over corporate reports.

Over on the sofa, Lucas shoots him a curious look but doesn’t pause his game.

“It isn’t really anything special, but I’m having dinner with my friends.” says Mark, adding on nonchalantly, “You can come along, if you’d like.”

Lucas hums absently but doesn’t bother to look up at Mark.

“Sure.”

  
  
  
  


*

  
  
  
  


It’s the same thing they do most years. 

Mark and his friends book a fancy 12-course degustation at one of the famous restaurants in the city and spend several hours eating overly pretentious and overpriced tiny portions of food that Donghyuck, Jaemin and Renjun take pleasure in utterly ripping apart with scathing commentary.

Discreetly, Mark takes out his phone and fires off a text to Yukhei.

  
[hey, r u still planning on coming?]

  
After this, it is likely that they will still go out for cheap burgers at a 24-hour fast food joint, looking entirely out of place in their flashy, bespoken suits and shiny, Italian leather brogues and oxfords decorating their feet.

  
[???]

[hello?]

  
To be honest, Mark doesn’t know why he had gotten his hopes up; Yukhei had only given him the slightest, non-committal murmur of agreement, that he most likely had only done out of politeness. 

_Had he overstepped his boundaries? Was he being overly clingy, or reading too much into the situation?_

Sure, Mark and Lucas are engaged to be married, but the two of them are fiancés in nothing but name. 

_How had Mark allowed himself to forget?_

Not to mention that it’s entirely possible that Yukhei still harbours some kind of resentment towards Mark about the clock even if he was too kind to actually do anything about it, and was merely acting like he had already forgiven Mark for it. 

The waitress is in the midst of describing their dessert to the table, a trifling thing made with a frankly unnecessary amount of liquid nitrogen that is there purely for presentation, when Mark feels his phone buzz against his leg. With more eagerness than he would like to admit, Mark fishes it out from his pants pocket only to find that it is a text, but not from Yukhei. 

Instead it’s a message from Jung Jaehyun, one of Mark’s older friends from his time in university, inviting him out for a round of drinks.

_'At least someone remembered my birthday.’_ Mark can’t help but think bitterly.

  
Jung Jaehyun:  
[hey mark! happy birthday bro! me and some of the others are going out for drinks tonight.  
wanna come along? taeyong and yuta will be there too. hope to see u soon :)] 

  
[hey, thanks dude!! haha, sure. just text me the address] 

  
“Hey guys,” says Mark, staring down at his phone as he addresses the table. “I think I’m gonna dip out after dessert. I’m heading to a bar in Apgujeong instead.”

“You’re sure?” asks Renjun, furrowing his eyebrows at Mark.

“Alright, suit yourself.” says Donghyuck, acquiescing easily before speaking to the rest of the group. “I could still go for a cheeseburger right about now, though.”

“Same.” replies Jeno emphatically, even as he plays with the smoke coming off his ball of ice cream contentedly.

Mark’s phone pings with another message, displaying the location of the bar and he checks it on the map.

Jaemin shrugs. “You know where to find us if you change your mind.”

  
  
  
  


*

  
  
  
  


Wong Yukhei:  
[hey mark. im sorry for not replying. happy birthday!! i hope u had a good time] 

[r u ok? its getting pretty late lol dont party too hard] 

[do u need me to come pick u up?] 

[mark???] 

  
[hey this is mark’s friend. he drank a lot more than he usually does.  
would it be alright if u came to get him?] 

  
[im on my way. whats the address]

  
  
  
  


*

  
  
  
  


Apparently, drunk Mark is clingy, has trouble maintaining his own balance, and a lot more emotional than Yukhei would have expected. Getting from Yukhei’s car to the front door is a struggle in and of itself, with Mark leaning heavily into his side as Yukhei fumbles to put in the pin code to his apartment with his left hand, his right safely secured around Mark’s waist.

“Why did you drink so much, huh?” asks Yukhei without any bite after he wedges the door open, helping Mark out of his shoes and socks, and depositing him lightly on Mark’s bed. 

It reminds Yukhei of the previous time when Mark had been incapacitated due to being tired rather than drunk, and Yukhei had helped him to bed then as well. 

_’I guess that makes two times that I’ve gotten you in my bed, if only that was where you wanted to be in the first place.’_ Yukhei thinks to himself, laughing dryly without any humour. 

“What am I going to do with you, Mark Lee?” he whispers aloud, staring down at Mark with a sad look.

Yukhei’s going about divesting Mark of his phone and keys, contemplating whether it would be helpful or unhelpful to try and wrestle Mark out of his jeans, when the smaller man starts making soft keening noises that makes Yukhei worry that he’s in pain.

“Are you hurt?” he asks, running a quick check of Mark’s body. “Do you need to throw up?”

“It hurts.” replies Mark, whimpering noises getting increasingly louder and Yukhei realises that the other is actually crying. “I’m an idiot.”

“Aww, no. Don’t say that, baby.” placates Yukhei, running his hand up and down Mark’s back soothingly. “What’s wrong?”

“I am! I don’t even know what I’m doing anymore.” sobs Mark, burying his face into his hands and curling up into a foetal position, looking incredibly small and young buried amongst the bed covers, and the image tugs painfully at Yukhei’s heartstrings.

“Hey, shhh. It’s okay, I’ve got you.” comforts Yukhei, pulling Mark upright and wrapping him into Yukhei’s embrace. “What makes you say that, hmm?”

“It hurts because I’ll never be good enough. For my parents or for you.” whispers Mark, slurring his words wetly. “Because I’ll be stuck alone forever and I’m so tired of being lonely.”

He sniffs loudly in contrast to his soft admissions of truth and wipes futilely at his never-ending tears.

Stunned, Yukhei hovers unsurely in place.

“Mark.” begins Yukhei, making an attempt to reach out towards the smaller.

“It hurts because I think I’m in love with you but you’re only here because you have to be!” exclaims Mark, shrinking away and trying to hide behind his hands again, sobbing louder.

Gently tugging Mark’s hands out of the way by his wrists, Yukhei takes in the sight of Mark’s face. Even with tear-tracks running down both of his cheeks, nose red and eyes swollen, he’s still the most beautiful thing that Yukhei’s ever laid eyes on.

“You’re wrong.” whispers Yukhei, cupping Mark’s face in his palms and leaning in close, pressing his forehead against the Mark’s own. 

Mark feels so close and yet so out of reach at the same time, and Yukhei inhales a shuddery breath, composing himself so that he doesn’t end up breaking down in tears as well.

“You might not remember this in the morning, but I want you to know that I’m here because I want to be,” says Yukhei, voice coming out steadier than he had expected, “and I’ll stay until you ask me to leave."

It’s selfish, but Mark’s face is so very close to his own right now, and Mark is leaning in like he’s trying to chase Yukhei’s lips. The look in the younger’s eyes is uninhibited and raw, Mark’s emotions unguarded and all out on a rare display for Yukhei to see, so Yukhei allows himself this one chance to steal a kiss with his fiancé.

It’s chaste, and full of love, and most likely, only one of them will remember it in the morning.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Mark has never really felt like he fit in at these kind of social events, high-profile mixers and galas held for the ever-gossiping socialite circles and upper-echelons of wealth. 

With his hair styled up and his black pinstriped suit stiff from disuse, Mark watches from the sidelines as his friends are in their element; Jaemin offering the Moon family a wide and disarmingly charming smile, a champagne flute carried elegantly in either hand, and Renjun slipping easily into a group of Chinese conglomerate heirs, speaking to each other in rapid-fire Mandarin, taking like a duck to water.

Meanwhile, Mark tends to have difficulty approaching people first, wary of ill intentions and entirely too trusting to see through the most convincing of false pretences. He’s fine with talking business or facts, but winning over fake people with fake words has never been Mark’s forte.

As he hovers on his own by the doorway leading to the kitchens, pretending to occupy himself with a miniature coconut and vanilla panna cotta clutched between his hands, Mark wonders where Yukhei had disappeared off to and whether the other man is faring okay amongst the pack of human sharks that are out for blood tonight. 

Wong Industries is a fairly large company that is coming into itself these days and the two of them had arrived together, correctly guessing that by now most of the business families in Seoul are aware of the knowledge that the Wong heir and the Lee’s youngest son are engaged.

Mark knows that Yukhei is certainly far more intelligent than he chooses to let on, and the young Hong Kong heir can probably take care of himself, but Mark can’t help but worry for him and hopes that he can find Yukhei soon.

  
  
  
  


*

  
  
  
  


Within a short while of arriving at the gala, Yukhei had gotten swept aside by some distant Cantonese relatives after he had entered the main ballroom, and had spent close to an hour idly chatting with an high-spirited man named Jackson and a bright and lively girl who had introduced herself as Yuqi.

After eventually parting ways with them, Yukhei had been returning from a trip to the restroom and was intending on locating where Mark was when a chorus of loud voices conversing assaults his ears from a nearby corridor. 

Surreptitiously peeking around the corner, Yukhei is shocked to hear that the subject of their gossiping is him and decides to keep his presence hidden, opting to eavesdrop from behind the wall.

“That Yookhee kid? Yookhae?” comes a female voice, sounding aged and hoarse in an unattractive way. “He’s got no manners, he didn’t even come to greet me properly when he saw me standing by the foyer!” 

Her disapproving tut is met with murmurs of agreement from her companions.

“Oh I agree, I couldn’t understand a word he was saying either!” joins in a second woman, although her tone sounds light and sweet in direct contrast with the choice of words coming out from her mouth. “You know, they keep inviting more and more foreigners these days, but they don’t even bother to learn the language properly! What is the world coming to?"

A third voice, male this time, chimes in disparagingly, “I'll tell you what, I heard that he doesn’t even have any real business knowledge or experience. Can you believe it? It’s all just theory, I wouldn’t trust him to know the difference between a supply form and a subpoena!” 

There’s a chorus of ugly cackling before the first woman that spoke adds on in a heavily judgemental tone, “Dumb and rude, the worst combination, really.”

Having heard enough, Yukhei is about to intrude and perhaps ‘accidentally’ bump his shoulder into that last woman for her blithe remark when a new voice appears.

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t refer to my fiancé like that when he speaks 5 languages, and is one of the most caring and considerate people that I know.”

_‘Mark?’_

Peering his head around the pillar, Yukhei confirms that _yes_ , that is his fiancé standing there defending him against a bunch of close-minded bigots.

“Present company excluded, of course.” Mark adds on in the most catty tone that Yukhei has ever heard him use before. 

It’s kind of a turn on. 

His fiancé continues, “You would be lucky for him to have you in his good graces, but I think it’s enough to let you know that none of you are in mine and I’ll be sure to let our foreign partners know how you lot feel about non-domestic investors. I bet that they would be happy to learn exactly which companies they should be addressing their _subpoenas_ to from now on.” with a coolly collected expression, Mark spins on his heel and turns the corner, departing in an unbothered fashion, leaving the gossiping crowd in a shocked silence.

Yukhei wonders if it’s possible for him to fall even more in love with Mark Lee.

  
  
  
  


*

  
  
  
  


Sighing heavily as he roams the lavish corridors of the function hall, Mark really hopes that he can find Yukhei soon and they can leave already; he’s had enough of dealing with contemptuous assholes pretending to be semi-decent human beings for a while now and Mark just wants to go home and cuddle with Yukhei.

Ever since Mark’s birthday, when Mark had drank too much, passed out, and Yukhei had generously taken care of him, Mark has noticed that Yukhei has been increasingly sweet and also _touchy_ with him, and the increased amount of skinship has been progressively getting to Mark, making him crave contact with Yukhei constantly.

He’s passing by the elevators on the third floor when an arm shoots out from seemingly nowhere and drags him into one of the empty conference rooms.

Within seconds, Yukhei has Mark pushed up against the wall, pinned under the other’s body, and the warmth of Yukhei’s large hands on either side of Mark’s hips seeps easily through his clothes, setting his skin alight.

“Hi.” greets Yukhei, smiling down at Mark fondly.

“Hi?” repeats Mark, giggling up at Yukhei. “I’ve been looking for you.”

“Really?” asks Yukhei huskily, somehow pressing against Mark even harder, his fingers skimming up and down Mark’s sides. “I’ve been looking for you too.”

He leans in close, bending down, and Mark can feel the soft exhale of Yukhei’s breath fanning Mark’s face and tickling his neck.

Mark shivers in Yukhei’s hold.

“Is this alright?” asks Yukhei, stopping achingly close to Mark’s lips.

_'It’s so much more than alright.’_ thinks Mark.

He doesn’t reply and kisses Yukhei greedily instead, wrapping his arms around the other as desperate moans manage to slip their way pass his throat unbidden.

Kissing back just as fervently, Yukhei makes sure to match every lick and nip with equal measure until they are both flushed and dizzy with matching kiss-swollen lips. 

Pulling away regretfully, Yukhei let himself drink in the sight of Mark, of his so-called ‘fiancé’, lying panting against the wall with his eyes closed, chest heaving with every drawn breath of air, and a private longing urge wells up from deep inside of Yukhei.

The barest possibility, the fleeting thought of Mark Lee ever belonging to someone else who won’t love him the way that he deserves causes Yukhei’s heart to physically ache, and it’s the reason why he allows the next words to spill from his lips.

“Marry me.” Yukhei whispers against Mark’s temple. 

“I am” replies Mark, laughing breathily and nuzzling his face into Yukhei’s cheek. 

“But you never had a choice.” says Yukhei regretfully, lifting a finger to trace the side of Mark’s cheek with a sweet softness, moving to cup Mark’s cheek as the smaller man closes his eyes trustingly. 

“So i’m asking you now. Will you marry me, Mark Lee?” 

“Yes.” answers Mark, pulling himself deeper into Yukhei’s embrace and burying his face into the other’s neck. 

Even without being able to see his face, Yukhei can feel Mark’s smile against his skin as the younger begins to reign kisses upon the underside of Yukhei’s jaw. 

“There’s nothing that would make me happier." whispers Mark sincerely.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


As a small act of rebellion, Mark and Yukhei get married privately a month before their actual wedding is scheduled to occur. 

In secret, they sign all of the required legal documents and buy themselves a set of matching watches in lieu of their wedding rings that have already been picked out by their parents well in advance.

“Everything about our marriage feels like a planned checklist, but this? This feels organic to me.” says Mark, staring down at the black and silver watch around his wrist with wide eyes. “Don’t you agree?” 

The watch specialist that had repaired Yukhei’s cuckoo clock recognises Mark when he walks out from the back room and sends the pair a knowing smile as he sees them standing together in the front of the store.

Mark looks up to find Yukhei already smiling down at him reverently, his own silver and black watch already clasped tightly around his wrist. 

“As long as i have you as my husband, it doesn’t matter to me.” replies Yukhei with a suitably dopey expression upon his handsome face that has Mark launching into a giggling fit in the middle of the shop, slapping Yukhei’s arm gleefully.

  
  
  
  


*

  
  
  
  


At home, they barely manage to make it to Yukhei’s bed before they start kissing, bodies pressed achingly close together but it’s still too far apart. 

Moaning softly, Yukhei settles in between Mark’s legs, who welcomes him willingly, and licks into the other’s mouth, coaxing his tongue out to play. 

“Yukhei.” whines Mark, wrapping his arms around his husband’s broad shoulders and dragging him closer. “I love you.”

Drawing back, Yukhei places his hands on the bed to support his weight and stares down at the vision of Mark beneath him.

Mark Lee, who is strong and capable and kind.

Loving and gentle and sweet.

“I love you.” replies Yukhei, ducking down to kiss Mark again. “You’re so beautiful, and I can’t believe that you’re really mine.”

Tentatively, Yukhei snaps his hips up into Mark’s and the motion has the other releasing a moan into Yukhei’s mouth which he swallows greedily, sending the blood travelling down and away from Yukhei’s head. 

Groaning, Yukhei struggles to speak “You’re driving me crazy, Mark.”

Panting and whimpering in response, Mark strokes a fluttering hand down Yukhei’s arm soothingly.

“Let’s wait until after the ceremony.” Mark responds, even as his fingers continue to linger on Yukhei’s skin and his own legs lock themselves around Yukhei’s body. 

“I know that it’s basically just a formality at this point, but I don’t know.” continues Mark before trailing off uncertainly.

“It’s alright.” answers Yukhei, running his hand through his ruffled hair, messy from rolling around in bed. 

He grins, a wide one that stretches across his face and reaches his eyes. 

“You know, I think that this is the first time that I’ve managed to get you into my bed willingly.” muses Yukhei, raising his eyebrows cheekily before breaking out into a laugh. “But it’s fine, I’ve waited for you for so long. I can wait a little longer.”

“Sorry.” mumbles Mark, wincing in sympathy.

“Hey, no apologising.” says Yukhei sternly.

Several moments pass as the two stare into each other’s eyes, simply enjoying being in one another’s company.

The serene atmosphere is broken by Yukhei, who starts laughing and tries to keep his composure by biting his lips but ultimately fails, and Mark joins him soon after, both of them dissolving into a fit of childish giggles for no reason like a pair of foolish teenagers in love.

Still laughing, Yukhei pulls away and settles himself down on the bed beside Mark. “I get to marry you in front of everyone else and let them know how much I love you.” 

Yukhei's smile grows even wider and he gazes softly at Mark, resting his head on the pillow. 

“Pinch me because I must be dreaming.” Yukhei whispers, disbelievingly.

With equally fond eyes, Mark reaches a hand out and holds Yukhei’s in his own, squeezing gently. 

“If this is a dream, then I’m right here with you, and I don’t want to wake up either."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The wedding ceremony is hectic, despite the numerous months of planning and countless hours of work that had no doubt been put in by the people that their families had hired, with minimal input actually put forward by the couple themselves but neither of them are too concerned about it.

His heartbeat fluttering nervously in his ears, Mark fiddles with the sleeve of his suit; fingers lightly brushing at his left wrist where he knows his watch rests hidden from view, and shares a secret smile with Yukhei across from him.

Yukhei looks beautiful, dressed to the nines in his own suit that has been exquisitely tailored to accentuate his figure, dark hair styled to perfection, but to Mark the most beautiful part about Yukhei is the imperfect smile that he sends Mark in return.

The venue is gorgeous, the music swells, and their friends are watching in the audience with bright smiles on their faces, ready to break out into embarrassingly loud cheers that their parents will probably think is ‘undignified and uncouth’.

None of that matters though.

  


_Will you marry me?_

_Yes._

  


Because Mark and Yukhei only see each other.

  


_Do you love me?_

"I do."

  


**Author's Note:**

> icb i wrote a scene with lucas and mark gently resting their foreheads against each other *yet again* lmao /sobs belle write a lumark fic without a forehead kiss challenge: failed 5-0
> 
> also i wrote the majority of this in one session alskdjflk can u believe it ;A;
> 
> thanks for reading! ♡  
> [@neocheckmark](https://twitter.com/neocheckmark) on twitter


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